American TV personality Fred Rogers was reportedly bisexual
The puppeteer is best known as the host of the children's TV series 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'
By Steve Brown
The American TV personality Fred Rogers was reportedly bisexual.
The puppeteer, who died in 2003 at the age of 74, was best known as Mr Rogers, the host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
And now in a recently-released biography about the TV personality called ‘The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers’ by Maxwell King – which was released last September – details how he saw his sexual orientation.
The passage – which has been shared on Twitter – sees a conversation between Fred and his openly gay friend Dr William Hirsch.
For everyone looking for a citation, it’s in “The Good Neighbor” by King. Screenshot from Google books. pic.twitter.com/XMQxYwPUCX
— Meandering Hermit (@GabrielLunesce) March 5, 2019
In the conversation, Rogers says: “Well, you know, I must be right smack in the middle.
“Because I have found women attractive and I have found men attractive.”
His long-time associated Eliot Daly is also quoted in the biography saying how the TV personality was often called ‘gay’ and a ‘sissy’ but said: “Fred is one of the strongest people I have ever met in my life.
“So, if they are saying he’s gay because… that’s a surrogate for saying he’s weak, that’s not right, because he’s incredibly strong.
“He wasn’t a very masculine person, he wasn’t a very feminine person, he was androgynous.”